The council's leaf advice names Waldo Road, but the tip is still shut. Churchfields Road, Norman Park on Saturdays and £3.10 sacks are the options for now.
Bromley’s street cleaners have started the autumn leaf clearance, and the council expects about 2,000 tonnes of leaves to come down on the borough’s roads this season. It is asking residents not to add to them by sweeping their own leaves into the street.
The council’s announcement on Wednesday tells residents they can take garden leaves to the Waldo Road or Churchfields Road recycling centres (Bromley Council, 28 October). Waldo Road is still closed. The council’s own page for the site says it “remains temporarily closed” and is reopening in November (Waldo Road Reuse and Recycling Centre). No reopening date had been published by 30 October.
What the council is doing
More than 100,000 street trees are starting to drop their leaves, the council says. Its contractor, Veolia, has put on extra teams. Roads where trees shed heavily and early, such as horse chestnuts, are being cleared first.
Crews often blow leaves from the pavement into the road, where mechanical sweepers can pick them up. The council warns that a long cold spell, stormy weather or the darker evenings can bring a sudden mass leaf fall, and that wet weather slows the work down.
Councillor Josh Coldspring-White, the council’s executive councillor for environment, said: “We know conditions will quickly change at points, including when wet weather can slow progress, but we’ll remain focused on clearing leaves as quickly as possible.”
Where your own leaves can go now
The council’s rule is simple: do not sweep leaves from your garden, drive or path into the road. It says this blocks road gullies and can cause flooding. If leaves are covering a road drain, it asks residents to clear them if it is safe to do so.
For leaves from your own garden, these are the options open today:
| Option | Cost | What you need to know |
|---|---|---|
| Churchfields Road recycling centre, Beckenham | Free | Takes garden waste all year. You must book a visit first |
| Norman Park weekend site, Hook Farm Road, off Bromley Common | Free | Saturdays 11am to 4pm, until 28 November. Leaves must be bagged; bring ID showing your address |
| Garden waste sacks, collected from your door | £3.10 a sack | Buy a sticker, book a collection |
| Garden waste wheelie bin | £80 a year | 240-litre bin, collected every two weeks |
| Home compost | Free | The council suggests it as an option |
Sources: green garden waste, weekend garden waste sites, sack collections and wheelie bin collections, all Bromley Council, read 30 October 2026.
The other weekend sites have closed for the year. Green Street Green, St Paul’s Cray, Biggin Hill and Beckenham took their last garden waste on 24 and 25 October. Norman Park is the only one left.
The Baths Road weekend site is no help here. It is the stopgap for bulky items while Waldo Road is shut, and it does not take garden waste. Our guide to Bromley’s tips has the full detail on both.
How the sack service works
- Stickers cost £3.10 each and are not refundable. Buy them at the Civic Centre, Churchill Court, 2 Westmoreland Road, Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm, or at a library.
- Put a sticker on a standard refuse sack. Each sack must weigh no more than 20kg.
- Book a collection on the freephone line, 0800 389 3804, Monday to Friday 8am to 4pm, or by email to Veolia at vesukgardenwaste@veolia.co.uk.
- Put the sack at the front edge of your property by 7am on the day you are given. Crews visit each area every two weeks.
The wheelie bin costs £80 for 12 months. Collections are every two weeks from March to November and monthly for the other three months. Both services take leaves, grass, prunings, hedge trimmings and small branches, but not soil, rubble or food.
What it means for you
- Street leaves are the council’s job, but heavy-shedding roads are cleared first, so yours may wait.
- Keep your own leaves out of the road. Bag them, compost them or book a sack.
- If you were planning a tip run to Waldo Road, book Churchfields Road instead, or use Norman Park on a Saturday before 28 November.
- If a drain outside your home is covered in leaves and the water is pooling, clearing it is the quickest fix. Report a blocked gully at fix.bromley.gov.uk.
We will add the Waldo Road reopening date to our tips guide as soon as the council publishes it.
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